CANNONDALE SYNAPSE NEO:
The E-Bike You’ve Been Waiting For + Trek Top Fuel 9.7, Pyga Stage GX
IIf you’re a fan of e-bikes, your relationship with Cannondale’s Synapse N▲O will be love at first sight. But if you’ve already claimed your disapproval of these zippy machines, then whatever you do, do not take this bike for a test ride – you’ll probably change your mind.
Bosch’s Active Line Plus motor delivers up to 250 watts of pedal assist, to a maximum speed of 35km/h. It does so in such a smooth, seamless way, you can allow yourself to forget that you’re getting a little help.
Of course, if you crank it up to turbo mode, it will be hard to ignore. But to cruise in eco mode is to get a sneak peek at what it feels like to be really, really fit.
The motor kicks in nicely to provide a little extra boost; but it has minimal drag, so you can easily pass the 35km/h limit without feeling like you’ve hit a wall as soon as you cross that threshold. If you’ve ridden other e-bikes, you know feeling, and it’s not a great experience.
I floated along rolling terrain with ease, enjoying the feeling of a little pressure on the pedals and a brisk pace, with a smile on my face. And I could snap over little rises and keep a steady pace on long,
grinding grades without digging deep into the reserves.
Indeed, the Synapse N▲O takes e-road riding to a whole new level. The extended range of the battery, smooth motor engagement and quiet operation can lull you into forgetting you’re on an e-bike. It just becomes a bike – one that you can ride a little faster.
This model is fitted with cushy 700x32mm slick tyres that soak up every bump and crack on a tar road, and could probably handle some light gravel riding too. If you want to go full gravel bike, get a 650b wheelset, and you’ll be able to fit tyres up to 50mm wide.
The 2x10 Shimano Tiagra drivetrain offers massive range, and the hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors are more than adequate for keeping your speed in check, which you definitely need to do on this bike.
On paper, the Synapse N▲O resembles the ‘acoustic’ Synapse in terms of reach and stack. My size-large test bike had a reach of 396mm, which is squarely in the middle in terms of endurance road bikes. The stack height of 609mm sits toward the taller end of the spectrum of endurance geometry. (The regular Synapse has 393mm of reach and 610mm of stack.)
The major difference comes in the chainstays, and consequently, the wheelbase. The 438mm chainstays on the N▲O are considerably longer than the 410mm stays on the normal Synapse, and result in the N▲O’s wheelbase being 64mm longer than on the Synapse.
What does that all mean for you? The N▲O will handle a little slower, but it will also feel more stable off-road. And with all that tyre clearance and a healthy amount of pedal assist, I’m willing to bet you’ll be feeling a little adventurous when you get on one of these bikes.
When I review bikes, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what kind of rider is best suited to the bike in question. Sometimes that’s easy to answer, other times not. But often it’s only a very specific type of rider who will appreciate a given model.
In this instance, the question is far more open-ended. Instead of wondering who should buy this bike, I find myself asking, “Who
shouldn’t?” ▶or commuting, for fitness, for fun, for enjoying the beauty of a bike ride, the Synapse N▲O 2 is wonderful. ▶or going a little further, for having the energy to soak it all in, or for getting back to some favourite routes that you stopped riding long ago for one reason or another… this can be the bike to take you there. – Bobby Lea